From the Army to Sales – A Journey to Salesforce

Jumping from the highly structured environment of the military to the wide-open possibilities of a tech career takes courage — just ask Hanna Peck, Salesforce Account Executive.

Enter: Salesforce Military. This department, run by veterans for veterans, works to ease this transition by providing active military, veterans, and spouses the classes, certifications, and support they need for successful careers in tech.

Interested in transitioning from the military to a career in tech? Apply to our Salesforce Fellowship through Hiring Our Heroes today!

Starting in Sales — Trusting Her Instincts

Hanna’s military career started in 2016 as a commissioned officer in the United States Army. Working in Human Resources, she traveled all over the world and the states, including Europe and Afghanistan. After eight years in the Army, Hanna was ready for her next career move – but figuring out what came after the military wasn’t linear. Through the Hiring Our Heroes program, she was introduced to a fellowship at Salesforce.

At first, Hanna was apprehensive – unsure of the skills required, the role growth, or the technology sector. (In fact, she said sales reminded her of the dad from Matilda — and she wasn’t about to step into a career selling faulty cars to unknowing consumers!). But, she decided to take a leap of faith based on her interview process with Salesforce and her immediate connection to the Salesforce culture and people.

“The culture stood out to me right away … coming from the military, I appreciate a very family and person-oriented culture … so it was nice to transition to a place with a similar tone.”

From Fellow to Full Time

Immediately, Hanna saw ties between her new role and the military. “Sales is built on relationships. It’s about getting to know people and identifying how to best serve them. Service to others is the foundation of military service, and so I immediately identified with it.”

In the fellowship, Hanna had the opportunity to shadow the sales team and quickly learned the basics. She was assigned a mentor, who guided Hanna through Salesforce onboarding, taught her sales processes, and helped her build her confidence — pointing out the military skills that gave her a unique perspective amongst those more traditional sales backgrounds.

“The growth journey has been rewarding,” shared Hanna. “My fellowship responsibilities fully prepared me for a full-time Account Executive role” — a role which she landed later that year. As an Account Executive, she now works daily to bring the best solutions to her clients. “Salesforce is something I believe in – it makes it easy to build relationships and connect with customers.“

To Hanna, the fellowship proved pivoting career fields was possible. More importantly, though, it was an opportunity to represent veterans in sales. “As one of five sales fellows, I feel lucky my experience can show what future veterans can do for the role and for Salesforce.”

Hanna’s Advice for Continuous Growth at Salesforce

Now, Hanna is committed to paying it forward.

She continues to meet with veterans transitioning into civilian careers and encourages them to network with people from all backgrounds.

”It’s so important to connect with people in your transition and learn about them,“ said Hanna. “It’s about connection and learning what people do and how they thrive. Instead of asking for a job or a referral, ask for a 15 minute chat to learn about the person and what motivates them.”

Her biggest piece of advice for people looking to change careers? “Focus on the company culture and connecting with people. It has made all the difference.”

Ready to embark on your own sales career with Salesforce? Apply to our Salesforce Fellowship through Hiring Our Heroes or join our Talent Community. Plus, check out the latest Salesforce career opportunities to become part of this award-winning culture.